Tripod-head



(No Model.)

L. E. BENNETT. TRIPOD HEAD.

No. 476,863. Patented June 14} 18 92.

9% flziil'ifii 331 ta" 61H 111L611! UNITED I STATES PATENT FFICE.

LEONARD n. BENNETT, OF MoI-IENRY, ILLINOIS.

TRIPOD-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4;76,863, dated June 14, 1892.

Application filed September 4, 1891. Serial No. 404,696. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD E. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Me Henry, in the county of Mcllenry and State of Illinois, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Camera-Tripods; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apipertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention has relation to photographic cameras, and more particularly to that class thereof wherein a tripod is employed forsupporting the camera, said tripod being adapted to be connected with and disconnected from the camera.

The primary object of my invention is to provide simple means whereby a tripod may be readily connected with and disconnected from the camera, said securing means being provided with locking devices whereby the parts may be locked in position after having been connected together.

With the above object in view my inventionconsists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the threaded rod and locking-nut; Fig. 2, a like view of the socketed plate; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the bottom of a camera, the plate, nut, rod, and tripodhead. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the socketed plate. showing in full lines the T-head of the rod in the locked position and in dotted lines the said T-head as turned to be withdrawn through the slot in the plate.

Referring to the above drawings, A indicates an ordinary tripod, and A the head thereof.

B indicates a rod which is threaded and is adapted to pass loosely through an opening I) in the tripod-head, as shown, said rod being provided with a T-head B, the threads on the rod extendingnearly to said head. Upon the rod, below the tripod-head, is mounted a Winged tightening or looking nut O, which by screwing upon the rod may beadjusted thereon for a purpose presently described.

D indicates a plate socketed, as shown at (Z, and provided with screw-holes d to enable said plate to be secured to the bottom of the camera. The bottom of the plate is also provided with a rectangular slot D of a length and width sufficient to admit of the passage therethrough of the T-head of rod B. The diameter of the soeketd should be such as to enable the T-head after having been inserted through the slot to be turned at rightangles to the latter, as shown in Fig. 4, and the depth of the socket should be such as to allowof the upper edge of the T-head lying flush or slightly below the upper edge of the plate D. The plate D is provided interiorlywith angular abutments or projections D the edges d of which coincide or lie flush with the edges d of .the slot, while the edges 61 of said abutments are at right angles to said slot, against which latter edges bear the edges of the T- head when the latter is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4:. The said abutments D therefore serve as stops to prevent the T- head from turning completely around Within the plate. The screw-holes d,as will be seen, pass through the abutmen ts close to the junctu re of the edges of the latter, so that the heads of the securing-screws on the under side of the plate will not project beyond the circumferential edge of the plate when the latter is secured to the camera.

The operation of my invention may be briefly described as follows: The plate and the rod having been secured in position on the camera and tripod-head, respectively, and it being desired to connect the latter with the camera, the latter or the rod is turned so that the T-head of said rod will coincide with or be in position to be inserted through the slot D of the plate. The T-head is then pushed through the slot and the camera or the rod turned so as to cause the T-head to assume a position at right angles to the slot, with the edges of said head bearing against the edges (1 of the abutments. The nut O is then adjusted upon the rod B until the underside of plate D and upper side of the tripod-head bear firmly against each other, causing the T- head to be held firmly against the bottom of the plate and preventing accidental disenin Fig. 4, when it may be withdrawn through the slot D, thereby disconnecting the tripod from the camera.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described means for detachably securing a tripod to a camera, consisting, essentially, of a socketed plate adapted to be secured to the camera and havingaslot in its bottom and a rod adapted to be detachablysecured to the tripod-head and provided with a T-head adapted to be passed through the slot in the plate and to be turned at an angle thereto, as described.

2. In a photographic camera, the combination, with the camera and a socketed plate secured to the under side of said camera and provided with a rectangular slot, of a tripod, a threaded rod passing through the tripodhead and having a T-head lying within the socket of the plate and adapted to be turned therein, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a photographic camera, the combination, with the camera and a socketed plate secured to the under side of said camera and provided with a rectangular slot and abutments on each side thereof, of a tripod, a rod passing through the tripod-head and having a T-head lying within the socket of the plate and adapted to be turned therein and to be limited in its turning movements by said abutments, as described, for the purpose specified.

4. In a photographic camera, the combination, with the camera and a socketed plate secured to the under side thereof and provided with a rectangular slot, of a tripod, a rod passing through the tripod-head and having a T- head lying within the socket of the plate and adapted to be turned therein, and a tightening-nut adjustably mounted on said rod below the tripod-head, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a photographic camera, the combination, with the camera and the socketed plate provided with a rectangular slot and having angular abutments on each side of the slot, one edge of each abutment being flush with the sides of the slot and the other edge of each abutment at right angles to said slot, of a tripod and a rod passingthrough the tripodhead and having a T-head lying within the socket of the plate with its edges abutting against the edges of the abutments, said T- head being adapted to be turned within the plate and to be withdrawn through the slot thereof, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD E. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

O. N. OWEN, N. A. HEAMAN. 

